Top 20 airlines in 2025: No US carriers make the cut
A new ranking of the world's best airlines is out and not a single U.S. carrier landed in the top 20.
Qatar Airways took home top honors at this year's Skytrax World Airline Awards, often called the Oscars of the aviation industry.
It's the ninth time the Qatari flag carrier has been named the world's best airline by Skytrax since the awards began in 1999.
Singapore Airlines, a five-time winner, ranked second for 2025, followed by Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific and Dubai-based Emirates. European carriers Turkish Airlines and Air France also made the top 10.
'As is indicated by so many former winning airlines being present, quality consistency is clearly well recognized by customers when they vote for these airlines,' Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax, said in a statement.
This year's rankings come from a global passenger satisfaction survey conducted between September 2024 and May 2025. Participants represented over 100 different nationalities and more than 325 different airlines were included in the results, according to Skytrax, which is based in the United Kingdom.
While U.S. airlines consistently lead in revenue and fleet size, none cracked the top 20 overall, showing that bigger isn't always better.
Delta Air Lines ranked highest among U.S. carriers, finishing 22nd in the world. United followed in 51st with JetBlue close behind in 52nd.
A separate category ranking the world's best regional airlines placed JetBlue sixth, followed by Alaska Airlines in seventh. Skytrax defined regional carriers as those that primarily operate domestic and/or international flights of approximately 6 hours or less.
U.S. carriers did shine in one category: best in-flight entertainment. Delta ranked sixth, United came in 10th, followed by American at 15th and JetBlue at 20th.
Air Canada was named the best airline in North America in this year's Skytrax rankings.
The survey asked customers to rate everything from the check-in process and customer service to in-flight amenities like seat comfort, food, entertainment options and even toilet cleanliness.
The world's top 20 airlines in 2025, according to Skytrax:
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